Andy Cohen Compares Vanderpump Rules Revamp to RHONY Reboot

Andy Cohen believes all good shows must come to an end — or at the very least pivot.

“In RHONY‘s case, we had 13 seasons of a show that was so beloved and so great,” Cohen, 56, said on the Monday, December 2, episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live. “And it went on and on, and sometimes for a show, it’s the end of the road or it’s time to curve or swerve or pivot, and that’s where we were with RHONY and that is what is happening with Vanderpump Rules.”

On November 26, Bravo announced that season 12 of Vanderpump Rules will feature Lisa Vanderpump and a whole new group of “close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessors.”

In March 2022, the cable network did something similar when they announced the 14th season of The Real Housewives of New York City would be a reboot with a brand-new cast.

While many fans are still adjusting to the news, Cohen wanted to give credit to the cast and crew who made Vanderpump Rules so successful for so long.

“I am so impressed with how production kept the show going over the last, I’m gonna say four years, when slowly but surely none of them were working at SUR,” Cohen explained. “The entire point of the show morphed and changed as it went on, and it wound up that James Kennedy was the only one with any kind of footprint at SUR, because he was DJing there occasionally and now he’s gone on and he’s got a residency in Las Vegas and he’s having great success and they’re all having good success outside of SUR.”

Cohen confirmed that several Vanderpump Rules cast members “have very, very organically moved onto The Valley.” Us previously reported that Scheana Shay and Lala Kent filmed scenes for season 2.

Meanwhile, Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney continue finding success with their sandwich shop, Something About Her. As for Tom Sandoval, he will appear in season 3 of The Traitors in January 2025.

Overall, Cohen said the changes to Vanderpump Rules were “the absolute right thing to do” and a “very smart programming move.”

“I’m so impressed with the gang from Vanderpump Rules,” he said. “The production team and the folks on the show. Specifically, the folks on the show who always remained very true to themselves, like it or hate it or like them or hate them. They were always very much themselves, and that’s what made that show so entertaining and surprising season after season.”

Cohen also reminded fans that the season 12 finale felt very much like a farewell. “Watch the last 10 minutes or five minutes,” he advised. “It felt like an absolute series finale, so congratulations.”

The new season of Vanderpump Rules is expected to begin production next year. A premiere date and cast will be announced later.

Vanderpump Rules is currently streaming on Peacock.